Teammates, Friends, Lovers
by 1CarinoInu
Summary: From teammates to friends, to lovers, a series of one-shots and non-connected pieces written for the Kakashi/Sakura fandom. NEW ENTRY: The Storm - What started as a routine return to the village from a solo mission quickly turns into a fight for survival.
1. From Friends to More

**June 24, 2013 NOTICE:** In an effort to de-clutter my profile with the large number of one-shots I have, I am combining them under this title.

My apologies in advance for spamming you all.

* * *

**From Friends to More**

**Summary: **One night of passion can change the dynamic of a friendship, either by destroying it or opening doors for something even better. How do Kakashi and Sakura deal with things after they cross that fine line?

* * *

_AN: This was my first attempt at writing something from Naruto and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to pair up Kakashi and Sakura. Why not? I think it works! Please PM me if you see any obvious errors - I don't have a beta, so please be kind._

_Also, I don't own anything related to Naruto by M. Kishimoto._

* * *

False dawn showed through the village Hidden in the Leaves bringing forth a new beginning for those who lived there. Half-formed buildings stood next to completed structures, while empty areas that had been cleared of debris were being prepared for foundations to be poured. It was a sign that Konoha was returning back to normal after the horrific battle with Pein and the Akatsuki.

Recovery was slow but it was coming at a decent pace. Since the removal of Danzo and his Root agents, and with the awakening of Lady Tsunade, things were beginning to improve for the village and its people.

Unfortunately, as with all great battles, lives were lost; families torn apart by those losses and burials were commemorated. Shinobi that had been killed in action who had not been healed by Tsunade's magnificent chakra were memorialized and names added to the great stone.

It was this morning that one person was not at his typical place at the great obelisk, visiting the names of his former teammates and loved ones from the past, reliving their deaths and mourning their losses. Instead, he could be found somewhere no one would ever think to find him: in bed with Haruno Sakura.

Never say that Hatake Kakashi was an uncomplicated man. The elusive mask-wearing, porn-reading, eternally late ex-Anbu kept his emotions and his personal life to himself. The only show of emotion was when he would participate in one of Gai's challenges against his 'Eternal Rival' and that was usually in the form of boredom.

It was too early in the morning to be awake, but he was. The sun had barely begun to show its first rays yet, he noted looking towards the nearby window. Sitting on his futon with his back up against the wall in his sparsely furnished studio apartment, the Copy Nin pondered the barrage of emotions that welled up within him. Certain events led up to his current situation and he was trying to make heads or tales of the feelings he was being overwhelmed by.

What was it that he was feeling?

Remorse? No, he was not feeling remorse for what had transpired. Staring down at the body laying next to him, pink hair dusting the pillow in an ethereal halo, he knew that he could not feel remorse for what had happened over the last number of hours.

Shame? Definitely not. They were two consenting adults now. He was no longer her sensei and hadn't been for over 8 years now. Sure he was 14 years her senior, but during times of war you had to take what you could get. One never knew if they would live to see another day and you had to enjoy the time you had while you could.

What did it mean? That was the question. Would it mean they were a couple now? Or was this just two shinobi taking advantage of the opportunity for release?

'_This could be complicated if we don't come to a consensus about this,'_ he thought to himself. Of course they weren't thinking about the potential after-effects last night when it all started.

What did it mean to him? What did _she_ mean to him?

The girl had always been easy to read, her emotions worn on her sleeve. Even when she was a 12-year old genin striving for attention from the Uchiha, he could read her. She was emotional to a fault, but extremely intelligent. Even at an early age, he was impressed by her chakra control, having perfected tree-walking way before her teammates.

He didn't feel guilty for having spent more of his energy on the boys. Honestly, he didn't know how to deal with her or any females and knew that she was strong enough and smart enough to find someone who could teach her properly. And she had found a teacher in one of the Legendary Sannin, the Hokage herself.

Even now, the Kunoichi was still emotional, but knew when to put those emotions under control when it was necessary. He had been impressed by her growth over the years and had partnered with her on many missions finding her to be a welcome addition to any one of his teams. She was strong in body and in mind and her ability to make him smile made his heart warm; breaking through the shield he had built up over the years.

Over time, they had become good friends, sharing details about each other on missions and off, sometimes meeting for lunch or training at one of the fields. But it never progressed to anything else until last night.

What did he feel for her? A lot of things. He just hoped she felt the same.

He once again glanced at the sleeping Sakura and sighed inaudibly. His eyes ran over the visible bare shoulder and arm, noting the firmness and strength that those limbs carried. Her pink hair draped across her neck and face as she slept serenely on her side. He noted that her skin, unblemished by scars or anything else, was sun-kissed giving her a glow of health. He noticed the gentle dusting of freckles over the bridge of her nose for the first time, and the usually observant Copy Nin was surprised he had never picked up on at before.

One hand lay in front of her on the bedding and he recalled what those hands could do. They held unimaginable power when they were infused with chakra. They could destroy buildings one minute and heal potentially lethal wounds the next. Paired with her fury or her passion, she was a lethal female.

But what he recalled what they could do when those hands touched his body…

Kakashi held back a groan when his mind took a ride in the gutter, replaying some of the things that they had done during the night and into the morning and his body responded in kind. Not sure that she would be a willing participant to repeat the prior nights' activities, he decided a shower was in order to cool off. Grunting, Kakashi pushed the blanket off of his lower half and rose from the futon while trying not to disturb his bed partner. Completely naked, the Copy Nin made his way into the bathroom to take a cold shower.

Green eyes blinked open when the telltale sound of a door closing and a shower starting was heard. Sakura stretched like a cat causing joints to pop, yawning as she did so. She had never felt so good after a night's sleep and felt oddly rested. Although she did recall there hadn't been much sleep after all. She giggled lightly and looked around to find a clock and saw the digital reading 6:20 on a desk across the room.

_'Ugh, it's early,'_she though inwardly as she continued to relish in the languor of the early morning. She hoped Kakashi wouldn't mind her remaining there for a while.

Would he be upset that she was still there? Should she dress and leave? Sakura was having second thoughts about what had transpired and she wondered if he was too.

Would it affect their friendship? God she hoped not. She really enjoyed Kakashi's company and would hate for things to get strange because they had sex. Granted, they had been friends for a long time and she probably knew more about him than Genma, but there had been an invisible line that they never crossed. Sure she had thought about it on many occasions, dreamed about it actually, but neither of them ever initiated anything until last night. She wondered if they had crossed that line prematurely.

She recalled the events of the night and morning, how patient Kakashi had been as he slowly introduced her to the pleasures of the flesh. Sakura had been a virgin, though the evidence was long gone due to her active lifestyle, but he still treated her with a reverence that made her swoon.

It had not been the first time she had seen his beautiful face, but he still wore the mask for reasons still unknown to her. His strong, angular jaw and sharp cheekbones were what made for strong frame for what was a handsome face. His skin was clear except for a small scar on the center of his chin, most likely from a childhood accident, and then the vertical scar running in the middle of his left eye from when he had lost it in battle and had taken the Sharingan from his friend Uchiha Obito. There were feelings, emotions that welled within her during their coupling and it left her slightly disturbed. Was what she felt and currently feeling love for the Copy Nin? It was hard to tell since her experience had been limited to her strong infatuation for the Uchiha. But what she felt for Kakashi made her feel something so much more different than what she had with Sasuke.

Sakura laid in the futon pondering those thoughts. Her right arm lay over her eyes blocking out the dim light that made its way into the room through the sheer of the curtains of the small window. She knew they needed to talk things out and running away to her apartment was not the most effective way of dealing with conflict. Dealing with it head on was for the best.

Hearing the shower turn off, she made her decision. They would talk it out.

Kakashi felt better after taking a shower having managed to cool his libido in the process of getting clean. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he opened the door to the bedroom and stepped in.

"Good morning," Sakura greeted as her ex-sensei stepped into the space. Her eyes roved his body and felt her own arousal build in response.  
_  
'Oh gods, this is not going to be easy,' _she thought.

"Morning," Kakashi replied back as he hesitantly made his way to the edge of the futon where Sakura still lay.

She sat up, pulling the blanket up to cover her chest modestly and patted the side of the bed signaling for him to take a seat. Sakura watched as he gently sat on the bedding next to her.

His shoulders were still damp as well as his hair, the silver locks laid almost flat against his head, bangs hanging in his eyes instead of standing on end as usual. It made him look almost boyish in Sakura's opinion. Her hand tried to brush aside the bangs from his eyes but to no avail.

"I think we should talk," the both said at the same time. While it was funny that they both thought the same thing, neither of them was laughing.

"Sakura," Kakashi began, taking the lead. "How do you feel about what happened between us?"

Tempted to hide her eyes by staring at her hands in her lap that were nervously fidgeting, Sakura looked up into his miss-match ones. From what she could see he looked nervous?

She smiled. Ah, so the infamous copy ninja Hatake Kakashi was nervous.

"I have no regrets, Kakashi," she told him firmly. "What about you?"

"I have not regrets," he replied.

"But…" Sakura hedged.

"I don't know if you expect more from this," Kakashi explained.

"Ah," her eyes dropped then. "So this was just a one-time thing to you."

She wanted to run away now. He didn't want her after all.

Kakashi picked up on the sound of remorse this time and it made something in his chest tighten. There was hurt in her response and that was not what he wanted. He edged closer to her and took her face in the palms of his hands. Bringing her face up and her eyes to meet his own he spoke, "Sakura, what is it that you want? I can't read minds and unless you tell me what is on it, I won't know what you expect from me."

Tears welled up as her head spun with questions. Could she tell him that she might be in love with him? Could she handle it if he said he didn't feel something for her?

"Sakura," he called to her, seeing the frantic look in her eyes. "Talk to me."

"I-I…" she stuttered. "I might be in love with you and I want to continue this and see if it works out," she whispered hoarsely, the tears having gathered in her throat.

Kakashi sighed happily. Life had thrown him many bad curves over the years and it made him ridiculously pessimistic with regards to relationships. He had prepared himself for the worst while going over things in the shower. Hearing her affirmation to having a relationship with him coming from her own lips, though, was better than he had thought it would be. His heart soared.

He rested his forehead on hers as he whispered; "I would love nothing more than to have a long relationship with you, Haruno Sakura. And I can't promise you that we won't have our disagreements or that things will be smooth sailing, but know that I will work at it just as hard as you will to keep our relationship going strong. Because I believe that I am falling in love with you, too."

Never had Sakura heard anything more beautiful than those words out of Kakashi's mouth.

_AN: My first attempt at writing something from Naruto and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to pair up Kakashi and Sakura. Why not? I think it works! Please PM me if you see any obvious errors - I don't have a beta, so please be kind._

_Also, I don't own anything related to Naruto by M. Kishimoto._

* * *

False dawn showed through the village Hidden in the Leaves bringing forth a new beginning for those who lived there. Half-formed buildings stood next to completed structures, while empty areas that had been cleared of debris were being prepared for foundations to be poured. It was a sign that Konoha was returning back to normal after the horrific battle with Pein and the Akatsuki.

Recovery was slow but it was coming at a decent pace. Since the removal of Danzo and his Root agents, and with the awakening of Lady Tsunade, things were beginning to improve for the village and its people.

Unfortunately, as with all great battles, lives were lost; families torn apart by those losses and burials were commemorated. Shinobi that had been killed in action who had not been healed by Tsunade's magnificent chakra were memorialized and names added to the great stone.

It was this morning that one person was not at his typical place at the great obelisk, visiting the names of his former teammates and loved ones from the past, reliving their deaths and mourning their losses. Instead, he could be found somewhere no one would ever think to find him: in bed with Haruno Sakura.

Never say that Hatake Kakashi was an uncomplicated man. The elusive mask-wearing, porn-reading, eternally late ex-Anbu kept his emotions and his personal life to himself. The only show of emotion was when he would participate in one of Gai's challenges against his 'Eternal Rival' and that was usually in the form of boredom.

It was too early in the morning to be awake, but he was. The sun had barely begun to show its first rays yet, he noted looking towards the nearby window. Sitting on his futon with his back up against the wall in his sparsely furnished studio apartment, the Copy Nin pondered the barrage of emotions that welled up within him. Certain events led up to his current situation and he was trying to make heads or tales of the feelings he was being overwhelmed by.

What was it that he was feeling?

Remorse? No, he was not feeling remorse for what had transpired. Staring down at the body laying next to him, pink hair dusting the pillow in an ethereal halo, he knew that he could not feel remorse for what had happened over the last number of hours.

Shame? Definitely not. They were two consenting adults now. He was no longer her sensei and hadn't been for over 8 years now. Sure he was 14 years her senior, but during times of war you had to take what you could get. One never knew if they would live to see another day and you had to enjoy the time you had while you could.

What did it mean? That was the question. Would it mean they were a couple now? Or was this just two shinobi taking advantage of the opportunity for release?

'_This could be complicated if we don't come to a consensus about this,'_ he thought to himself. Of course they weren't thinking about the potential after-effects last night when it all started.

What did it mean to him? What did _she_ mean to him?

The girl had always been easy to read, her emotions worn on her sleeve. Even when she was a 12-year old genin striving for attention from the Uchiha, he could read her. She was emotional to a fault, but extremely intelligent. Even at an early age, he was impressed by her chakra control, having perfected tree-walking way before her teammates.

He didn't feel guilty for having spent more of his energy on the boys. Honestly, he didn't know how to deal with her or any females and knew that she was strong enough and smart enough to find someone who could teach her properly. And she had found a teacher in one of the Legendary Sannin, the Hokage herself.

Even now, the Kunoichi was still emotional, but knew when to put those emotions under control when it was necessary. He had been impressed by her growth over the years and had partnered with her on many missions finding her to be a welcome addition to any one of his teams. She was strong in body and in mind and her ability to make him smile made his heart warm; breaking through the shield he had built up over the years.

Over time, they had become good friends, sharing details about each other on missions and off, sometimes meeting for lunch or training at one of the fields. But it never progressed to anything else until last night.

What did he feel for her? A lot of things. He just hoped she felt the same.

He once again glanced at the sleeping Sakura and sighed inaudibly. His eyes ran over the visible bare shoulder and arm, noting the firmness and strength that those limbs carried. Her pink hair draped across her neck and face as she slept serenely on her side. He noted that her skin, unblemished by scars or anything else, was sun-kissed giving her a glow of health. He noticed the gentle dusting of freckles over the bridge of her nose for the first time, and the usually observant Copy Nin was surprised he had never picked up on at before.

One hand lay in front of her on the bedding and he recalled what those hands could do. They held unimaginable power when they were infused with chakra. They could destroy buildings one minute and heal potentially lethal wounds the next. Paired with her fury or her passion, she was a lethal female.

But what he recalled what they could do when those hands touched his body…

Kakashi held back a groan when his mind took a ride in the gutter, replaying some of the things that they had done during the night and into the morning and his body responded in kind. Not sure that she would be a willing participant to repeat the prior nights' activities, he decided a shower was in order to cool off. Grunting, Kakashi pushed the blanket off of his lower half and rose from the futon while trying not to disturb his bed partner. Completely naked, the Copy Nin made his way into the bathroom to take a cold shower.

Green eyes blinked open when the telltale sound of a door closing and a shower starting was heard. Sakura stretched like a cat causing joints to pop, yawning as she did so. She had never felt so good after a night's sleep and felt oddly rested. Although she did recall there hadn't been much sleep after all. She giggled lightly and looked around to find a clock and saw the digital reading 6:20 on a desk across the room.

_'Ugh, it's early,'_she though inwardly as she continued to relish in the languor of the early morning. She hoped Kakashi wouldn't mind her remaining there for a while.

Would he be upset that she was still there? Should she dress and leave? Sakura was having second thoughts about what had transpired and she wondered if he was too.

Would it affect their friendship? God she hoped not. She really enjoyed Kakashi's company and would hate for things to get strange because they had sex. Granted, they had been friends for a long time and she probably knew more about him than Genma, but there had been an invisible line that they never crossed. Sure she had thought about it on many occasions, dreamed about it actually, but neither of them ever initiated anything until last night. She wondered if they had crossed that line prematurely.

She recalled the events of the night and morning, how patient Kakashi had been as he slowly introduced her to the pleasures of the flesh. Sakura had been a virgin, though the evidence was long gone due to her active lifestyle, but he still treated her with a reverence that made her swoon.

It had not been the first time she had seen his beautiful face, but he still wore the mask for reasons still unknown to her. His strong, angular jaw and sharp cheekbones were what made for strong frame for what was a handsome face. His skin was clear except for a small scar on the center of his chin, most likely from a childhood accident, and then the vertical scar running in the middle of his left eye from when he had lost it in battle and had taken the Sharingan from his friend Uchiha Obito. There were feelings, emotions that welled within her during their coupling and it left her slightly disturbed. Was what she felt and currently feeling love for the Copy Nin? It was hard to tell since her experience had been limited to her strong infatuation for the Uchiha. But what she felt for Kakashi made her feel something so much more different than what she had with Sasuke.

Sakura laid in the futon pondering those thoughts. Her right arm lay over her eyes blocking out the dim light that made its way into the room through the sheer of the curtains of the small window. She knew they needed to talk things out and running away to her apartment was not the most effective way of dealing with conflict. Dealing with it head on was for the best.

Hearing the shower turn off, she made her decision. They would talk it out.

Kakashi felt better after taking a shower having managed to cool his libido in the process of getting clean. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he opened the door to the bedroom and stepped in.

"Good morning," Sakura greeted as her ex-sensei stepped into the space. Her eyes roved his body and felt her own arousal build in response.  
_  
'Oh gods, this is not going to be easy,' _she thought.

"Morning," Kakashi replied back as he hesitantly made his way to the edge of the futon where Sakura still lay.

She sat up, pulling the blanket up to cover her chest modestly and patted the side of the bed signaling for him to take a seat. Sakura watched as he gently sat on the bedding next to her.

His shoulders were still damp as well as his hair, the silver locks laid almost flat against his head, bangs hanging in his eyes instead of standing on end as usual. It made him look almost boyish in Sakura's opinion. Her hand tried to brush aside the bangs from his eyes but to no avail.

"I think we should talk," the both said at the same time. While it was funny that they both thought the same thing, neither of them was laughing.

"Sakura," Kakashi began, taking the lead. "How do you feel about what happened between us?"

Tempted to hide her eyes by staring at her hands in her lap that were nervously fidgeting, Sakura looked up into his miss-match ones. From what she could see he looked nervous?

She smiled. Ah, so the infamous copy ninja Hatake Kakashi was nervous.

"I have no regrets, Kakashi," she told him firmly. "What about you?"

"I have not regrets," he replied.

"But…" Sakura hedged.

"I don't know if you expect more from this," Kakashi explained.

"Ah," her eyes dropped then. "So this was just a one-time thing to you."

She wanted to run away now. He didn't want her after all.

Kakashi picked up on the sound of remorse this time and it made something in his chest tighten. There was hurt in her response and that was not what he wanted. He edged closer to her and took her face in the palms of his hands. Bringing her face up and her eyes to meet his own he spoke, "Sakura, what is it that you want? I can't read minds and unless you tell me what is on it, I won't know what you expect from me."

Tears welled up as her head spun with questions. Could she tell him that she might be in love with him? Could she handle it if he said he didn't feel something for her?

"Sakura," he called to her, seeing the frantic look in her eyes. "Talk to me."

"I-I…" she stuttered. "I might be in love with you and I want to continue this and see if it works out," she whispered hoarsely, the tears having gathered in her throat.

Kakashi sighed happily. Life had thrown him many bad curves over the years and it made him ridiculously pessimistic with regards to relationships. He had prepared himself for the worst while going over things in the shower. Hearing her affirmation to having a relationship with him coming from her own lips, though, was better than he had thought it would be. His heart soared.

He rested his forehead on hers as he whispered; "I would love nothing more than to have a long relationship with you, Haruno Sakura. And I can't promise you that we won't have our disagreements or that things will be smooth sailing, but know that I will work at it just as hard as you will to keep our relationship going strong. Because I believe that I am falling in love with you, too."

Never had Sakura heard anything more beautiful than those words out of Kakashi's mouth.


	2. Caught in the Act

Caught in the Act

Summary: He hadn't been gone on a mission for very long, but Sakura couldn't ignore what her body wanted... no, needed.

* * *

Sakura ticked off her mental list before she would settle in for the night.

_'Door locked. Dinner dishes, washed and put away. Shoes are in their proper place next to the front door. Windows, closed and blinds shut,'_ she mentally tallied.

_'The last thing I need is Naruto peeping into the bedroom window from the fire escape, again. I think he learned his lesson, though,' _she smirked through the heated blush that had began to work its way up her neck in memory.

Since Sakura had moved from her parents home and in with her boyfriend a few months ago, Naruto felt that it was necessary that he check in on her; make sure she was safe and being taken care of. Even though he knew and trusted her boyfriend, her brother-figure felt it necessary to keep an eye on things.

Sometimes it was at the most inopportune times.

One night he had come to 'check in on Sakura-chan' and had begun to enter her bedroom window and caught her and her male in the throes of passion. While Sakura and her lover did notice the blushing blonde at the time, they were too involved in what they were doing to stop, choosing to ignore him for more… enjoyable things.

Naruto ran, his eyes burning from seeing his best friend and teammate in such a manner. He knew he had narrowly escaped with his skin in tact and bones unbroken that night.

He couldn't look at them without blushing for weeks after that. Sakura had felt that it had been punishment enough.

From that time on, she and her boyfriend had taken to making sure the window was shut tight before partaking in any pleasurable activities. There was no telling if the thickheaded Kyuubi-container would attempt entrance that way again. '_Better safe than sorry.'_

She continued down her list. _'Newspapers and magazines are straightened up and put away. Everything is in its proper place.'_

While Sakura was fairly tidy, her boyfriend was a bit of a neat freak. Even though she was horribly in love with him his obsessive cleaning habit was one of his more endearing traits that drove her a bit mad. However, considering who he and how old he was, she was never going to attempt to change him.

Sakura walked over to the large bookshelf that lined one of the walls of the living room, something she had brought from her parent's house due to her over abundance of medical literature and textbooks, she went to the one shelf that was specifically _his_. She knelt down to eye level and ran her finger over the spines through the selection of 'literature' looking for a particular volume that she had been looking forward to rereading.

_'Ah yes, _Icha Icha Paradise_.'_

She smiled as she plucked the orange-covered book gently from its place on the shelf and stood before turning off the lights in the apartment and walking to the bedroom and placing the book on the bedside table. Sakura turned on the small reading lamp on the table illuminating the small bedroom in the darkened night.

She looked around the room, taking note of the queen-sized bed with the shuriken printed burgundy quilt that dressed it. It was the one thing of his she never wanted to remove. Her boyfriend had been so wonderful when Sakura moved in, allowing her to move in and place her things to either sit next to his or replace some things she may not have wanted him to keep. He had told her that it was the quilt that his mother had made as a wedding gift to his father.

There was no way she was going to replace that quilt.

Sakura had already changed for bed before making the necessary final checks for the night and she sat down on the bed, sighing lightly.

Gods how she missed him at night.

It was the fate of the ninja, missions for days, weeks and sometimes months. Fortunately, this mission only took him away for two weeks but to Sakura it was two weeks too long.

And her body craved him horribly.

There was only one way to take care of the needs of her body – with a volume of Icha Icha.

She stood and removed the over-sized t-shirt that smelled of him, and laid at the end of the bed. Then she shimmied out of the simple white panties she wore, kicking them up with her foot to catch them with her hand and laid them with the shirt.

She sat on the bed with her back against the headboard and plush pillows, completely nude, lifting her knees and spreading them apart. She felt the pulse of excitement wash through her lower extremities in anticipation of what was coming next.

Sakura leaned over to pick up the little orange book and thumbed through it, looking for a specific page and passage. _'Ah, here it is.'_

She held the book in her left hand, spreading the pages apart with her thumb and pinkie while allowing her right hand to travel to her left breast. Sakura began reading the passage as she tweaked and rolled her nipple.

_'He visited her again in the night, the man she would dub her 'secret lover.' Cloaked in the darkness he entered her room by the French doors that she had purposely left unlocked as to allow him admittance to her room._

_The darkened figure shut the doors quietly as to not make any noise and awaken the hime's household. If he were to be caught there would be hell to pay, especially since she was to be wed within a weeks time._

_"I knew you'd come," she whispered to her companion. The figure hushed her with a finger._

_"No words. Just feel," he told her and then captured her lips in a fevered kiss.'_

Sakura's hand traveled to her other breast giving her nipple a tug and a roll as she continued to read.

_'His lips were hard, demanding as they plundered hers. The hime writhed beneath her lover as he touched her body, his hands roaming places they ought not to have. She knew when her wedding night came that her husband would not care that she did not come to him untouched. He would not care because he would never touch her._

_Her fiancée didn't like women that way and he was perfectly happy to allow her her liaisons. As long as she was discreet, which went both ways._

_However, neither his parents nor her parents were unaware of the arrangement that she and her husband-to-be had come to, so she still had to play the part of the 'blushing bride.'_

End of page. Sakura stopped her ministrations to her nipple to turn the page. Her right hand trailed down to the damp pink patch between her legs and began to rub the little bundle with her middle finger, alternating with her index that dipped into her wet heat before resuming the attention to her clit.

She resumed her reading.

_'He lifted the white shift from her body exposing her white creamy skin to his hungry eyes._

_"Gods woman," he moaned before he grabbed one of her breasts and began to suckle like a newborn babe. He switched to its twin while his hand tweaked and rolled the nipple in his fingers.'_

Sakura's fingers moved a little faster over the nerves. She worked her little nub at one moment and the switched to pressing two fingers within herself, in and out and back to her clit. She could feel it getting close… her body throbbed in anticipation of its release.

_'The woman beneath him quietly moaned allowing her lover to hear that he was indeed pleasuring her without being too loud._

_And then he moved his mouth to her sternum, kissing and licking as his hands continued to knead her fleshy mounds. His mouth trailed down her stomach and down to that place that she knew he could make come alive with pleasure…'_

She was getting closer as her fingers rubbed faster; the telltale sign of her release was so close…

_'His mouth devoured her most sacred places, sucking on that piece of flesh that made her come alive; her body tingled in anticipation as he worked a finger within her…'_

"Now that's a sight for tired and sore eyes," a darkly amused voice commented from the bedroom door.

"Kakashi!" The startled Kunoichi practically jumped at the sound of his voice. She had reluctantly stopped her actions while trying to hide the fact she was reading his 'smutty novel' as she like to call it. "I-I didn't think you'd be back tonight," she almost stuttered.

He pulled down his mask revealing his beautiful face and obvious smirk at her antics. "Apparently."

He noticed the volume of Icha Icha on the bed open face down to the page she had left. "Interesting choice of reading material," he remarked as her perused the passage.

Sakura scrambled to grab her t-shirt while Kakashi closed the book and gently placed it on the bedside table. He then removed his hitai-ate and began stripping off his flak jacket, followed by his shirt and the rest of his clothes. She had already put her shirt back on when he began to stalk her. He captured her in his arms and she struggled a little.

"Now why would you want to put clothing on when I have only just removed mine, Sak-u-ra?" he asked in a deep, sensual voice. She whimpered.

"Miss me, baby?" he asked as he looked into her cloudy jade eyes.

"Gods yes!" she replied before taking his lips with hers.


	3. Mukuwarenai (Unrequited)

_AN: A very one-sided view of unrequited love. My faithful Kaka/Saku followers may lynch me for doing this.  
WARNING: Major character death._

* * *

**Mukuwarenai (Unrequited)**

**Summary: ** Love, when unrequited, can either destroy you or make you stronger. In Kakashi's case, it destroys him.

**WARNING:** Major character death.

* * *

_She was a friend to me when I needed one. Wasn't for her don't know what I'd have done.  
She'd gave me back something that was missing in me.  
She could have been turned out to be almost anyone. Almost anyone.  
With the possible exception… of who I wanted her to be…_

_ ~ That Girl Could Sing - Jackson Browne ~_

* * *

He hated to watch them as they walked off together in the direction of the village; possibly to his home or hers. It never reached his mind that they could be going to Ichiraku simply for a bite to eat. Nothing so innocent ever came to the male's mind.

It made him want to wretch whenever he thought that maybe...

Even though the pair had never physically touched in public, never saw them exchange a hug or a friendly pat, he wondered: were they deceiving him, the rest of their friends and the village?

It killed him to watch as the pink-haired kunoichi and ebony-haired Uchiha stood closely yet never touching while speaking in hushed tones. About what? He knew not.

Kakashi watched the pair from his perch on many a tree or from a point on top of one of the many buildings he favored when reading one of his many volumes of Icha Icha. Lately, though, it seemed that those treasured books no long held the same fascination they did once upon a time.

~ o O o ~

Ever since the Fourth Shinobi War had ended and Sasuke Uchiha had returned to the village of his birth, Sakura had hesitantly acknowledged him. Her heart had been trampled on one too many occasions and the memories of his attempts at killing her were still very fresh in her young mind.

The village and the Hokage had initially not welcomed Sasuke back with open arms. Many knew of his crimes against not only the shinobi world but those against their own village. The Hokage had to think about the future of the village and saw in the young Uchiha the last of the Sharingan. She could not let the opportunity to keep it in Konoha pass by. If the boy wanted to return of his free will, he could but at a price.

Sasuke would undergo a series of 'sessions' with Ibiki to confirm that he wasn't harboring an alternate agenda. Once he passed Ibiki's tests, the boy's chakra would be sealed completely taking away his ability to use his Sharingan and his ability to perform as a ninja. His status as a chuuin would be revoked and he would never be able to use chakra ever again. Lady Tsunade would be the one to seal his chakra and his Sharingan. The only saving grace was that should he have children, they would be unaffected by the seal. The Sharingan would carry on in his progeny.

Sasuke would also undergo extensive counseling. Someone who had seen his family massacred, sought power by training with the sick and twisted Orochimaru and eventually killed his brother and many others in his search for power needed to undergo some kind of therapy.

Sasuke would be able to claim his inheritance, which included the entire piece of land that had once held the Uchiha Compound and all of the monies that had been left behind. He would soon discover that he would not have to find a source of income to support him, as his clan had been extremely wealthy. That worked out for him since he did not have any other skills other than that of a ninja. He would be able to build a home and support a family easily enough.

The truth of the Uchiha massacre would be kept from the civilian population but those who worked for the Hokage would know the truth. Tsunade felt it was necessary so as to keep the rumors at bay and to do a little damage control as well. She knew Sasuke wouldn't be received well by the villagers or by many of the shinobi, but at least those that would accept him would make his transition a little easier.

It was no surprise that Sasuke accepted the terms given to him by Lady Tsunade. In all honesty, he was done with living the life of a missing nin. Though he was strong and able it was not a life he wanted.

Besides, he had a clan to rebuild.

The chakra binding was done immediately after his agreement to the terms cited by the Hokage and the reluctant Elders and once released from Ibiki's 'care,' Sasuke set to building his home and starting his life. It would take him months to complete the home even with the aid of the few friends that had stuck by him. Naruto and Sakura were there the most whenever they weren't training or on mission, or in the case of Sakura at the hospital. Many of the Rookie 9 had eventually forgiven, though would never forget, and helped the last Uchiha with his task.

Sasuke trained with Naruto and Sakura to stay in shape under the Copy nin's watchful eye, their focus on taijutsu mainly. When Naruto joined ANBU sword practice had quickly become a part of their routine and it was during those times that Sakura would sit out. The boys would work on their moves while Sakura would join their ex-sensei on the sidelines and watch.

It was during those times when the boys sparred that Kakashi got to really know his female ex-student. The pair would sit and talk about everything under the sun as they observed the training nearby.

Kakashi had learned that she'd weathered so much loss in her young life like so many shinobi and yet it surprised him that she managed to keep a smile on her face and not let it bring her down. Sure, she'd had bad times like when Naruto had gone training with Jiraya and Sasuke had defected, but she'd turned things around and sought out a new purpose. Now, her abilities as a healer were known throughout the countries, especially since the war. Having saved the life of the brother of the Kazekage of Suna hadn't hurt her reputation either.

Though Sakura would share everything about herself, Kakashi had yet to fully open up to the female, though not for lack of trying on Sakura's part. She would ask him pointed questions to which he would deflect with an odd comment or another question at her. Sakura would learn that he wasn't going to share personal things with her and eventually gave up asking.

It pained him when she would visit his apartment at all times of the day or night with the sole purpose of healing the many wounds that decorated his body after a particularly hazardous mission and not only because she wanted to see him. Though lately, it seemed that all of his missions were increasingly dangerous, as if he was looking for a reason to not return.

Sakura would steal into his apartment not long after his return. He still hadn't figured out how she'd know that he'd returned or had been injured, but he welcomed her every time. He would feel her chakra as she approached his apartment window hearing her open the window quietly after disabling the traps set prior to his leaving. When she entered his bedroom, the woman would find him sprawled on his bed still in his ANBU armor and covered in blood.

She would sigh in frustration and chastise him half-heartedly as she gently removed each piece of armor and clothing that kept his wounds covered before walking into his bathroom. There she would rifle through his cabinet for the first aid kit she kept there for these trips and fill a bowl with warm water and grab a cloth to cleanse his wounds.

As Kakashi would lie on his bed in nothing but his boxers, Sakura would gently clean his wounds while she quietly chastised him again for not going directly to the hospital. She knew he'd never go there unless he was unconscious or brought in by force. The medic in her and the caring female in her would continue to nag him regardless.

When she first began making these house calls, Kakashi would notice the way she would blush when seeing him without his clothing and he smell the subtle change in her scent as she perused his form with her eyes healing hands. It didn't matter that she'd seen her share of male physiques in the hospital or in the field, she seemed to feel embarrassed to see him this way in the privacy of his home.

It was times like those combined with the sometimes-subtle questions about his personal life that made him wonder if she might feel something for him. But he would never say anything.

The last time she took care of him, Sakura asked him what he thought of Sasuke and his return to Konoha. Kakashi had answered honestly that initially he thought the boy had a hidden agenda for returning and that he held no remorse for his actions. However, over time, Kakashi had noticed that Sasuke seemed to change and honestly wanted to move on from his troubled past.

"He seems to genuinely want to move on and make amends," he told her.

Kakashi had been proud of his only female student when she stood her ground against the prodigal son of Konoha, refusing to see him outside of group events and turning down his constant requests to go out on dates. Though she spent a lot of her free time at the new compound, she always made sure Naruto or one of her many friends were there with her never allowing him to be alone with her.

She had experienced heartache over the boy for years and was not interested in going down that road again. However, as the months wore on, Sasuke seemed to break down Sakura's defenses and she finally accepted.

Sakura had noticed that since his return to Konoha Sasuke had seemed to warm up a little and showed more personality. She began to see more of the younger boy she had originally fallen in love with who would show small smirks and give quick retorts of dry humor, sometimes even throwing his own barbs at Naruto's expense. It looked as if the weight of the world had finally been lifted from his shoulders and he could finally live a normal life, even as a civilian.

When Kakashi saw the pair go on their first date his stomach dropped to the ground upon which he stood. Sakura had dressed beautifully for her date with Sasuke and Kakashi really noticed that she had blossomed into a beautiful young woman. The feelings that came to the forefront were not of an ex-sensei or father figure either.

It was then that the scarecrow realized that he'd fallen in love with the only woman he couldn't have.

His chest tightened and he felt like he couldn't breathe. Tears welled up in his lone eye as he watched the dark-haired male gently kiss the pink-haired girl on her forehead before leading her into the restaurant.

Not wanting to intrude on the couple's evening, Kakashi walked to the other side of town as far from the couple as possible. There he would find a bar where he would park himself in a corner booth and drink as he thought over his recent discovery. There he would think upon what had led him to this state while he drank himself into oblivion.

He tried to ignore the happy couple as their relationship grew and built up from that first date and though Sakura still kept a little distance emotionally from the dark-haired male. But it wouldn't last, and before long, Sakura would spend more time with her Uchiha and less with her friend Kakashi.

It wasn't long before they were engaged to be married and Sakura had practically jumped on Kakashi in her joy to share her news with him. She never saw how his eye crinkle was missing as he congratulated his pink-haired blossom and her fiancé. She was unaware of how he gently detached the female from the grip she had on him – a symbol of him detaching himself emotionally from her as well.

As the wedding date approached, Kakashi took more and more missions alone and practically begged the Hokage to send him away during the wedding and the time the happy couple would be gone on their honeymoon. Tsunade, realizing what was really happening with her best shinobi called him out.

"Have you told her you love her?" she asked as she handed him a mission scroll.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he gruffly replied and refusing to look at her.

Tsunade huffed in frustration. "You need to tell her, Kakashi. You need the closure. Otherwise you'll end up never moving on or allowing yourself the chance at happiness."

"Like you?" he retorted sharply.

The Hokage sighed. "I suppose I'm the last one that should talk, but I do talk from experience. Had I told Jiraya how I felt so long ago, I might have had some happiness with him while he was still here."

"I just can't," he said with a strained voice and disappeared in a puff of smoke and leaves.

~ o O o ~

Kakashi never returned to Konoha from the last mission alive. His body had been found just inside the border of fire covered in cuts and bruises and one critical wound in his stomach from which he bled out.

He was returned quietly and without anyone knowing, so as not to cause a stir. Those who knew about his death were sworn to secrecy until his closest friends could be notified.

Shizune had been the one to do the autopsy on his remains. What she had found disturbed her.

Keeping her discovery confidential, she took Kakashi's file along with his history and the recent findings in the cause of death, Shizune walked somberly to the Hokage's office.

Knocking gently on the door, she received a loud "enter!" from the woman inside.

Tsunade looked at her faithful friend and knew something was terribly wrong. The fact that Shizune's eyes were downcast and her shoulders began to shake did not bode well.

"What is it Shizune?" she asked firmly. "What did you find?"

"H-he…" she stuttered.

Tsunade stood up from her desk and rounded it walking to the dark-haired female. She could see the tears and the quiet sniffs and took mercy on the woman.

"Did you write the cause of death on his file," Tsunade quietly asked.

Shizune nodded in the affirmative as she handed her boss the file.

Tsunade opened the file and read the report. Under cause of death it read: _Suicide by kunai._

Trying to stay strong, the Hokage read the rest of the report explaining the findings. There had been no doubt. Kakashi had done exactly what his father had done and ended his life.

_'Such a tragic ending for the Hatake line. Such a horrible waste of life.'_

Tsunade went back to her desk and laid the folder down on her desk before reaching for a bottle of sake and pouring two glasses and handing one to Shizune. They toasted to Kakashi, his life and the loss of him as a friend.

His file was sealed. No one would know that he had committed suicide.

The Hokage ordered ANBU to search the Copy Nin's apartment only to find it completely empty and devoid of anything reflecting that he had lived there. All that was left behind was a note tacked to the door which was brought directly to their leader.

Tsunade raged when she read it, tearing up her office in her anger.

When she calmed the Hokage burned the letter and said nothing more but drank herself into oblivion.

The following day, the Hokage called in the members that had once been Team 7 to her office not looking forward to their responses.

End

* * *

_AN: I had to end it there. I didn't have the heart to drag it on any longer with explaining their reactions to the news or God forbid, Sakura finding out about Kakashi's feelings. I was in borderline tears writing this as it was._

_I promise you I have a fluffy one-shot in the works to reverse this horrible angsty piece._


	4. Back Stabbers

_AN: This is just a little fun thing that came to mind when I listened to the song _Back Stabbers_ by the O'Jays this morning. Funny how this wrote itself. And of course the characters are way OOC.  
Not to be taken seriously, just a little bit of crack and fluff. My way of making up for writing _**Mukuwarenai.**

* * *

**Back Stabbers**

**Summary: **Kakashi has won the heart of his fiery pink-haired ex-student. But when their male friends overstep the bounds of their relationship, how will Kakashi establish himself as Sakura's only one? This fic borders on Crack.

* * *

_What they do_

_(They smile in your face)_

_All the time they want to take your place_

_The back stabbers (back stabbers)_

~ Back Stabbers – by the O'Jays ~

* * *

For once in his life, Hatake Kakashi felt like he had it all.

He had job that was rarely boring or the same, crazy hours (but paid really, really well), a roof over his head, the strongest woman in the village was his girlfriend, and extremely supportive friends.

Yes, life was good for the Copy Nin.

Until he realized something; his friends seemed to spend a lot of time at the home where he and his girlfriend lived. An excessive amount of time. And it wasn't to spend with him. Oh no. They were there to see _her_.

At first, he just chalked it up to his good friends giving the newly paired couple their support. Sakura had at one time been his student, even though it was for barely a year and he hadn't really taught her much, and many still thought it was wrong for them to date, much less live together. Sakura had become the apprentice to the Godaime Hokage and eventually earned the name "Mini Tsunade," (much to her distress), so many truly thought Kakashi never was her sensei.

Besides being freakishly strong, highly intelligent, paired with incredible chakra control and the ability to heal just about anything, Sakura had become an incredibly beautiful young woman. When Kakashi saw her after she had returned from a yearlong mission to Suna to whip their hospital into shape, he like many of the males that saw her, fell in instant love with her.

Well, maybe more like 'lust.'

He remembered the day he had seen her. It was late August and the trees were already losing their leaves in preparation for the winter months. Kakashi knew it was going to be a rough winter because the winds turned colder, earlier than normal, followed by the leaves changing their color and falling to the ground.

Kakashi was strolling through the unpaved streets of Konoha, his trusty Icha Icha Tactics in his hand, when he heard the murmurings of some of male citizenry.

"Did you see the Godaime's apprentice? Damn!" he heard from one shinobi male who Kakashi didn't recognize.

"I know! I'd like to tap that!" he heard from the other male, also an unfamiliar shinobi.

Kakashi was initially disturbed by the words that came from their mouths, but discovered that something else bothered him more. Why hadn't Sakura come to see him? Like he should care, but for some reason he felt like she should look up her old sensei after such a long absence. Of course, she may have just returned that day, so he let it roll off his back. But it was what he heard next that he began to feel a little bothered. Then recalling the comment made by one of those 'boys', the thought of 'tapping' Sakura… It just made him cringe.

He'd been passing one of the more popular shinobi bars, the Poisoned Daggar, when he'd heard the familiar voice of Inuzuka Kiba.

"Hey Shino! Did you see Haruno Sakura the other day?" he asked his bug-wielding friend. "DAMN!" he cried, followed by a wolf whistle and an obvious waggle of his eyebrows.

"Yes, Sakura-san has blossomed quite nicely. The time she spent in the desert was certainly a positive influence," Shino replied smoothly.

The Inuzuka was already known to be a bit of a man-whore, so his reaction hadn't been much of a surprise. It was Shino's response that had been a little more slick sounding than Kakashi had ever heard come from the bug-user that bothered him. It made warning chills go up and down his back.

Sakura had apparently had been home longer than just that single day and Kakashi was feeling strangely slighted.

_'Not like you ever gave her a second look,'_ he thought glumly to himself. _'Why should you care?'_

Sure, during the war, Sakura showed everyone what she kind of destruction and power she was capable of, including the Uchiha she had pined over for years. At 17, she was still a gangly teen and hadn't grown into her body yet. But based on the current observations of the males he'd heard just in the past few minutes, she'd apparently filled out and become quite a sight.

He wouldn't be a male if he didn't look forward to seeing what she'd become.

_'Bad Kakashi._ _ Down boy!'_ he internally berated.

How could he think about his pink-haired ex-student like that? How could he forget the little spitfire, girly-girl she'd once been?

And then he saw her and his brain short-circuited. He'd barely heard the surrounding male's responses to her appearance. And then he actually put down his Icha Icha and froze when his mind wrapped around the vision before him.

Not 500 feet or so stood a pink-haired goddess in green and blue. And he thought Kurenai wore the Jounin uniform well.

_'Da-yum!'_ his mind drooled.

The next thing he noticed was the way that her jade eyes lighted up when she saw him, followed by a bright smile that literally lit up the gloomy Fall-like day.

"Kakashi!" she called, excitement in her voice. Before he knew it, he was in a stranglehold by the female he'd been (ahem) covertly eyeing.

Once his brain caught up to his surroundings and he realized who was wrapped around him, Kakashi slowly enveloped the pink-haired female with his arms and released the breath he had been holding.

"Sakura," he said with a slight huskiness to his voice. "It's been a while."

He unknowingly dropped his head slightly to inhale her scent (cursing the mask he wore) and was rewarded with the most incredible fragrance of vanilla and, was it… black currant? It was an oddly sensual combination and his body responded quickly to the scent and the feeling of the warm, womanly body pressed oh so closely to his own.

Inside his mind he groaned. _ 'This is not good. But it feels so damn good.'_

Thinking quickly, Kakashi gently pried the female from his form before she felt just how happy he was to see her (and he was grateful for the loose-fitting clothing he was currently wearing). He stood back and gave her his happy eye crease along with his signature wave and a "Yo!" From this slight distance, he could peruse her a little less obviously.

Her face had slimmed down losing the last of her baby fat, leaving high cheekbones giving her already exotic look a huge boost. Her pink hair had grown past her shoulders and hung in beautiful waves while she still wore her Village headband to hold it back from her face. Her smile was bright and he could tell that she was truly happy to see him.

He felt the same way, just in a more physical manner.

He'd kept his perusal away from the lower portion of her form by keeping his eyes above her shoulders. The fact that he'd felt those soft, yet firm, womanly curves, would have to be enough for now.

From that day on, Kakashi made a point to spend time with Sakura getting to know her better and she'd welcomed the attention wholeheartedly. It wasn't long before they were seeing each other publicly as a couple, much to the dismay of remaining male population of Konoha.

A uniformed groan of "Nooooo!" from the same group could be heard the day Sakura agreed to move in with Kakashi.

Sakura would constantly be questioned by her friends - well, mainly the males who had lost out.

"Why him?"

Her response?

"Because he loves me for who I am and not what I can bring him. To Kakashi, I'm not just some piece of ass but a woman with a mind."

Kakashi had heard that and internally thought, _'Yeah. Sure. Let's go with that.' _

But honestly, Kakashi loved and respected the woman Sakura had become and he did all he could to rub the competition's noses in it. So to speak.

Which leads us to Kakashi's current predicament.

He had 'friends' and 'acquaintances,' that were mostly male. Sakura too had many friends, most of who were of the male persuasion, much to Kakashi's dismay. He loved his cherry-blossom and he trusted her and never let it bother him that she saw her 'friends' whenever he was away on missions, and even when he wasn't – but he was sure to tag along with her on those occasions to make sure that those 'friends' of hers would know that she was irrevocably his.

He'd find them lurking around their apartment complex hoping to see Sakura as she either left their home, or maybe catch her as she was coming home from the Hospital. There were even times he'd catch Kiba or even Shikamaru hanging around the hospital around lunch time or after hours when they knew she would be leaving for the day.

_'Wasn't Shikamaru seeing Temari of the Sand?'_

Some weren't as obvious. Those happened to be the males that were closer to his age group and had a whole arsenal of sneaky tactics at their beck and call. Those males were harder to dissuade from their course.

His so-called friends and acquaintances became a part of Sakura's followers and would 'hang out' with her and her group whenever she'd go out. He'd watched absolutely aghast as Genma, Iruka and even Ibiki and Gai circle her like sharks around a particularly luscious piece of chum. Their eyes gleamed with lust and they licked their 'chops' as they watched her. They didn't even hide the way that they watched her move and it was very difficult for Kakashi not to get territorial on them.

He'd talked to Sakura about his observations and his concerns and she laughed. She _laughed_ at him!

"_Kakashi_," she said her smile and laugh contagious. "You're just seeing things," she told him. "They're your friends and now they're my friends because of our relationship. And even if they did try anything, I promise you that I can take care of myself." That was a promise.

Kakashi sighed, feeling slightly chastened and knowing that she _could_ take care of herself. But he couldn't help feeling like his so-called 'friends' were just waiting for the opportune moment to snatch her up from him. For Kami's sake, they'd even show up at their apartment when he wasn't home just to visit with her! Oh, but of course they'd tell her they were looking for Kakashi and then just stay for a while.

He wasn't usually a jealous male, but enough was enough! He had to do something.

"Besides," she purred seductively, crawling onto his lap as he sat on their couch. "Only you have the knowledge and skills to keep me satisfied."

Oh yes, that was absolutely true. His reading and rereading of the Icha Icha series had given him a wealth of ideas of how to pleasure his little hellcat in the bedroom. Jiraiya had been a fount of knowledge and used his books to inadvertently teach the world.

It had been quite a pleasant discovery when he had first bedded the pink-haired beauty. Apparently by the age of 22, she'd already done her share of seduction missions and had dated a few males that had seen to educating her in the ways to please her man. By the time she came to Kakashi, Sakura had already picked up quite a repertoire and liked to use it frequently.

There was no way in hell he was going to let her go. Her fiery temper aside, she was an amazing woman on the inside as well as the outside and skilled in many other ways. He'd be stupid to jeopardize what he had with her.

However, back to the situation at hand.

Those 'friends' were starting to get on his last nerve and the canine side of him needed to establish his position as her one and only Alpha and his dominance without her knowledge. Because if she knew he was trying to prove something to those idiot males, he'd be sleeping on the couch for a looong time.

_'It's not like I can kill them off one by one on a mission,_' he had thought at one point. It would have worked, but the fact that he kept surviving missions when the other member's of his team kept dying on him would look suspicious.

_'Now, how to scare those idiots off without her knowing or getting upset at me.'_

The idea came to him one cold evening as he returned from a solo mission. It was an early evening in December just days before Christmas when he strolled past the large gates of Konoha. The village had been decorated with garlands and lights and all sorts of festive things, and he could swear he heard Christmas music being piped in from somewhere. The scent of gingerbread and cinnamon was heavy in the air and in the past these things had bothered him. Being a lonely sort of being for so long had hardened him against the usually upbeat holiday, and for once he was actually looking forward to celebrating Christmas. The difference this year? Sakura.

The sounds of children laughing as they ran through the snowy roads only to be called out to by their parents to 'be careful' and 'slow down' had brought his attention forward. There stood a family of three, bundled up for the bitter weather. The husband carried some parcels while the mother held the hand of their small daughter. It was such a simple yet warm scene and it had called to Kakashi on another primitive manner.

And then it hit him.

He knew then what he had to do. No. What he had waited his whole life to do. In that moment, Kakashi made the decision that would change everything. Making a slight change of direction, Kakashi headed towards the future.

~ o O o ~

Christmas morning dawned bright and early, the sun and a curiously empty bed being the reason for Sakura to awaken. She sat up quickly after smelling the wonderful scents of coffee and something sweet wafting in from what had to be the kitchen.

Grabbing her robe from the foot of the bed, Sakura donned it and quickly took care of her bodily functions, as well as brushing her teeth, before starting her day with the love of her life.

Who would have known that she would fall in love with the man who had been her Genin Sensei? If anyone would have told her that that would be her fate back when she was 12, she would have laughed in their face and told them that Sasuke-kun was the only man for her.

Yeah, and then she grew up. In so many ways.

She was so glad to have had the opportunity to go to Suna. She had learned so much there, not only about how horribly under-trained their medical staff was at the hospital (and the reason she was there in the first place) but she had learned a lot about herself.

She'd met and made new friends and even dated a little while she was there. Eventually, she and Kankuro had hooked up, but eventually broke up after a few months. It had been sad to split up, especially since he was quite creative in the bedroom, but it had been for the best. He had been sporting a bad case of Nightingale's Syndrome and she just went along for the ride.

Fortunately, they parted as friends and still were to this day.

When she returned to Konoha, a few days had passed before she had finally caught up to her ex-sensei. She had to find a new apartment, since hers had been rented out and her personal items stored in her absence, move in and unpack. She had planned on going shopping the day she had run into Kakashi for the first time, but those plans had gone by the wayside and she instead had gone to lunch with him that afternoon, followed by a long walk and getting caught up, followed by dinner. He'd been wonderful that night as he walked her home and kissed her on the forehead before he left her for the night.

They'd continued to spend time with one another after that and in between her shifts at the hospital and his missions.

She'd fallen for him hard and quickly, but nothing had ever felt so right as her relationship with Kakashi.

Sakura wasn't oblivious to the attention she'd garnered by the males of her home village. In fact, she thought it absolutely hysterical that the men who had considered her and treated her as one of the guys began to follow after her like little puppies. Even some of Kakashi's friends started to show up at the most inopportune times at their apartment – mainly while her boyfriend was away on missions. Honestly, it made her laugh, but at times she thought that they were idiots. What kind of friend does that?

So when Kakashi talked to her about it she downplayed it to a point. She could handle the 'boys' if they ever got out of hand.

When she completed her morning ablutions, Sakura padded her way to the living area and smiled when she saw her white-haired lover standing in the kitchen in nothing but a pair of red silk pajama bottoms she had bought him for his birthday, pouring two cups of coffee.

She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around him while quietly wishing him a good morning.

"Morning yourself, beautiful," he replied after he turned around in her arms. "Merry Christmas," he said before kissing her senseless.

_'Kami, she is so beautiful. I know I'm making the right decision. I just hope she agrees.'_

"Coffee?" he asked as he turned and presented her with a cup.

"Mmm, you know I can't start my day without it," she answered and grabbed said cup. Taking a sip, Sakura closed her eyes and hummed in bliss causing Kakashi to chuckle.

"You and your coffee," he joked.

"Yes and you know how I am without it."

Kakashi did know. If she didn't at least have a cup of some sort of caffine in the morning to start her day, she was a mess and it carried on throughout the day. She couldn't focus, which in her line of work would be dangerous. Sure, she knew of the addictive properties, but there was never a time that she could safely wean herself off of the stuff.

Not that she wanted to.

Kakashi gently pushed her towards their living room where their gifts sat under the garishly decorated tree. Sakura sat on the couch, pulling her legs up to the side while continuing to nurse her cup of java. Life was good.

Kakashi sat on his knees in front of the tree and started to sort through the gifts. He handed Sakura one while he took one for himself and they both began unwrapping.

The number of gifts Kakashi received, showing just how much people cared for the slightly eccentric male, had pleasantly surprised Sakura. In the past since his parent's demise, he'd never celebrated and made sure that everyone knew not to subject him to gifts. He'd almost hardened his heart against the possibility of ever celebrating such a beautiful holiday and finding happiness ever again, and Sakura was proud to have been the one to bring joy to his empty life.

They opened their gifts for a while until the space beneath the tree was empty. Saving the best for last, Kakashi reached from within the center of the tree where a small, black box sat.

He turned to Sakura and kneeled before her, making sure she didn't see what he held in his hand.

"Sakura," he began when he got her attention. "I'm not very good with words as you know, but I feel I need to tell you just how much I love you."

The pinkette smiled and grasped his hands in hers and replied, "I love you too, Kakashi."

Clearing his throat, the nervous male continued. "I know I'm not old, but I have a few years over you, and since I saw you when you returned from Suna, I knew then what I wanted in life."

"Sakura, you opened up a whole new vision for me. I never thought I'd find a love so strong as the one I have found with you. You've given me a whole new outlook on life and for that, thank you. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for releasing me from the pain and guilt that I had been constantly living in."

Sakura began to tear up from his heartfelt confession and one of Kakashi's hands cupped her cheek while his thumb gathered the tear that had fallen.

"But I want so much more with you, Sakura. I want forever." He stopped as he pulled his hand away and brought the other out front and opened the small box in front of her. "Will you stay with me forever Sakura? Will you marry me?"

Watery jade eyes widened in surprise before she yelled "YES!" and then wrapped her arms around him and kissing him hard on his bare mouth. "Yes, Kakashi," she cried with tears of absolute joy. "I will marry you."

Needless to say, Kakashi was a very happy man.

They married six months later. Kakashi had specifically requested that all of their 'friends' be invited and Sakura laughed knowing why exactly he made that request of her.

Now that she was Mrs. Hatake, those 'friends' kept their respectful distance and all was back to being well in Kakashi's world.

The End.


	5. The Storm

**The Storm**

**Summary: **What started as a routine return to the village from a solo mission quickly turns into a fight for survival. Wounded, low on chakra and stuck in a random cave during a snowstorm Sakura's chances at survival aren't looking too good.

* * *

Black billowing clouds blew in with the early winter winds from the arctic north bringing a chill in the air and the sign of impending snowfall in the land of Earth. The uninhabited mountains in the stretch that a lone Konoha ANBU was currently trekking seemed to be teaming with wildlife as they scattered, all feeling the oncoming storm and trying to find cover.

_'Great. There's a storm coming and I'm nowhere near a village.'_

The white-masked figure that was clothed in a gray travelling cloak covering the individual from head to ankle limped through the thick brush and trees over the rocky formations that were prevalent to that part of the country. It was close to the border of Fire Country, where the shinobi was from and the wild forest growth had made it impossible to travel swiftly in the trees, as was normal, adding time to the already long trip. The border and an ANBU checkpoint were still a few hours away.

_'If I can just make it to the border…' _the individual thought inwardly while looking up at the quickly building storm clouds in the sky. A particularly cold gust of wind blew and made the shinobi grip the cloak closer in order to keep the little heat in and the frigid air out.

_'Damn ANBU uniform wasn't made for winter weather like this.'_

It was true that even though its members were supplied with longer sleeves for the winter combined with the existing long black gloves, the thin fabric may have helped in cooler temperatures. However, it wasn't enough for the rapidly dropping temperature the soldier was being subjected to now.

Looking down at the snow beginning to cover the boot-clad feet of the lone figure, there was a sigh of relief.

_'It's a good thing I went with my boots instead of those standard-issue sandals or my feet would be close to frostbitten by now.'_

Flakes began to fall lightly from the dark clouds signaling the beginning of the storm that was coming, and quickly too, as the flakes that started as a light dusting soon became heavier and heavier. Within minutes the forest floor was white.

"Shit," a muffled female voice growled out from behind the ANBU mask. It was time to find shelter and fast.

The petite ANBU picked up the pace as much as she could without straining the open wound on her side and began looking for any sort of shelter from the oncoming storm, trying to ignore the throbbing in her side. The pine trees were thick with their early winter foliage and could be used for cover but it wouldn't keep her warm when the winds really picked up. She would need to find a cave, one that was uninhabited.

The temperature continued to drop as the kunoichi continued to move as swiftly through the treacherous forestry in her search for someplace to hunker down until the worst of the storm passed by. After another hour or so, and several chilling gusts of negative degree winds, she finally located a space large enough for a couple of people to sit in comfortably and have an ample fire, yet small enough that she could tell a dangerous animal hadn't made it a home. A small grouping of thick trees sat near the entrance almost making it impossible to spot, especially with the limbs of the trees being covered in snow. Something had told the kunoichi to look there and she was thankful she had.

The ANBU entered the small cave and quickly set to making it habitable and began moving rocks in a circle formation for a fire pit. It wouldn't be large but hopefully it would be big enough to ward off some of the cold. Kneeling next to the fire ring, a shaking hand moved to remove the hood that covered the head of the ANBU before removing the white mask and revealing the face and hair of one Sakura Haruno. Next, the gloves came off. Sakura rubbed her hands together trying to build friction and warm the numbness that seemed to be building in them. A warm exhalation came from her mouth and could be seen due to the chill in the air.

_'Damn, it's freezing!'_

Having snagged a number of branches and pieces of dry kindling on her search for shelter, the female quickly built up the small, but ample, fire to warm her chilled bones by. Once she was happy with the state of the fire, she pulled the pack off of her back and began taking an inventory of what she had left to survive off of.

_'Hn. Two days' worth of rations, a canteen half full of water,'_ she silently tallied. _'I hope this storm blows over soon or someone comes to find me.'_

The odds of someone looking for her out in this blizzard were slim. Besides, she was ANBU now, one of the elite, and was considered capable of taking care of herself without assistance. Of course, should she miss her next check in time by messenger or by physically showing herself, then the village would send out a search party.

_'And I just had to follow protocol and send out a message to Konoha before I left the last village this morning,'_ she thought to herself.

It would be a day before they realized she hadn't reached the ANBU outpost at the border and with the oncoming storm, they wouldn't dare go out until the storm calmed and it was safer.

Now that she took stock of her rations, she needed to take a look at her wound that seemed to be throbbing even more than ever. Looking in her pack, Sakura pulled out the small woolen blanket and the med kit she always made sure to keep with her. She wrapped the blanket around her after having removed the damp cloak and any other wet items from her body before she would take the time to remove the bindings she wore on her chest. The kunai wound was on her right side thanks to the rogue nin she ran into on her way to the border of Fire. It was due to her fatigue and chakra drain that the one nin got to her. Fortunate for her, she managed to kill off him and his four other friends, but not without her getting nicked in the process.

She unbound her chest so that she could see the wound better, grateful for the dual purpose of the chest bindings. Since the adrenaline had worn off from her earlier fight and flight, she found that every time she moved, she felt a shock of pain go through her. When the wound was finally revealed, it was red and swollen showing definite signs of infection, and still bleeding more so than it should for one so new.

Okay, so it had been a number of hours since it had happened. But still…

Grabbing her canteen of water and a piece of sterile gauze, Sakura proceeded to clean the still bleeding area, hissing at not only the coldness of the liquid but the discomfort.

_'Kami, this is hard to do.'_

She was having a hard time really seeing the damage. Yes she could see some of it, but part of the wounds went around her back. She had no idea how badly the rogue had gotten her but he had done a good job of making sure she was severely wounded.

Sakura would normally try to heal herself, but she was over-tired and short of chakra and to make the attempt could make things worse instead of better. Instead she cleaned it the best she could, put a healing salve and then wrapped a new set of bindings around her, hoping that it would do until she could regain her chakra and heal it herself.

Feeling warm enough with the woolen blanket around her, Sakura decided to forego a shirt and wrapped the cover closer around her before sitting back against the side of the cave. She stared into the flames, watching them dance and flicker, their embers burning and flying up into the air, her body warming up in the small enclosure.

Her body and mind wandered between being sleep and wakefulness, restless as day turned into evening and then to night. The wind howled outside the small enclave she was holed up in and sometimes a large gust managed to break through the boughs of the trees that protected the female within. She rarely felt the cold as her body heated up to fight off the infection, causing her to become delirious.

In her fevered haze, Sakura's mind drifted to subconscious dreams and desires; images of a white-haired male with miss-matched eyes of onyx and red, his body shirtless and lying atop her own half-clothed one.

_"Kakashi, don't tease!"_ her dream-self moaned, her body arching to meet the lips that ran peppered kisses along her neck, her sternum and lower…

~ o O o ~

He was beside himself with worry. It was times like this that the Copy Nin was glad he wore his mask or those around him would be able to read the emotions on his face.

Hatake Kakashi stared out at the incoming bank of black clouds as the wind blew them and the impending storm with them with a feeling of foreboding.

_'Calm down, Hatake. She's a strong and very capable kunoichi. She's been through worse,'_ he told himself trying to assuage his fears.

If she weren't ANBU then he'd have more of a reason to be concerned. She'd been trained to deal with all sorts of survival situations in addition to the many ways to conduct assassinations.

Sitting amongst the current shift of ANBU operatives that were responsible for keeping watch over the border of Fire and Earth, Kakashi's mind ran over the many possibilities. She could have been caught up in the storm and now holed up in a cave. She could be lying dead somewhere, too.

Shaking his white head mentally, he decided he needed to change the direction of his thoughts.

He remembered how after the war, Sakura had reduced the amount of time that she spent in the Hospital and more time working on her strength, stamina, her stealth and jutsu's. Ignoring the fact that Uchiha Sasuke had returned to the village and had been pardoned (though subjected to many limitations by the current Hokage and the Elders), Sakura had begun to reinvent herself.

Sakura had told Kakashi that she'd seen enough sickness and death working in the med tents during the war and though she'd still continue to practice medicine, her desire was to go back to working in the field full time. She had needed a change of scenery and though she never voiced it, she wanted Sasuke to feel the pain that she had when he ignored her.

And then she told Kakashi that she wanted to apply to ANBU.

Inwardly, he was terrified for his sole female ex-student. Memories of the girly Sakura that cried at the drop of a hat over Sasuke still made his feelings and thoughts prejudiced against her, but her actions towards the end of the war proved to him that she was strong and fearless. She was stronger than he or any of her colleagues had ever given her credit for and she was tired of being put into a mold that she had long ago outgrown.

Sakura had surpassed her master in many ways and it wasn't just her physical strength that carried her, but her strength of character that pushed her to be better and stronger. She just felt she needed to prove it not only to her peers, but herself.

Kakashi told Sakura that he'd support her decision to apply to the Black Ops and that if she needed anything from him, he'd be there for her. He'd even offered to write her a letter of recommendations but Sakura declined, wanting to stand on her own two feet. Sakura had then given him a smile that did terrible things to the Copy Nin's insides, warming him in a provocative manner and leaving him fairly disturbed.

After their conversation, he'd not heard or seen her for over 6 months and he had begun to think she'd given up on the idea. It was after he'd decided to reinstate himself in ANBU that he'd found himself partnered with the pink-haired kunoichi on a mission. Needless to say, he was pleasantly surprised by her acceptance into the elite group and congratulated her once the Hokage had dismissed them after a mission briefing.

From that day on they continued to be sent on missions together, either just as a pair or as part of a 4-man team. Their ability to work together seamlessly and complete missions quickly and efficiently had made them invaluable to the village. They were rarely sent apart and Kakashi began to wonder if the Godaime had purposely placed them together to make sure her best Jounin made it back to Konoha in better shape than he had in his past.

But Kakashi found he didn't mind. In fact, he found himself enjoying the time he spent with Sakura. He'd learned more about her as a person and was delighted to discover that she was a force to be reckoned with out in the field. Sure, he'd seen what she could do with her freakish strength before, but her abilities truly showed when she worked on missions. He found that she had gained better control over her skills, whether she was destroying with her hands, casting a difficult genjutsu, or healing him after a particularly bad skirmish.

He loved watching her as she fought against their foes. She fought like a warrior with skill and a fierceness that, frankly, turned him on. There were times it distracted him and for Kakashi, that was unusual. _Nothing_ distracted him.

_'Well, then again there was that second bell test and Naruto and Sakura used the new issue of Icha Icha against me.'_

He was addicted to her healing touch. He loved feeling her healing chakra as it bled through his body and the way the warmth of it spread through his being. To him if felt like home and it was something he never wanted to lose.

Over the period of time that Kakashi and Sakura worked together his desire for her started as a slow warm feeling, soon building into an unquenchable flame.

He wanted her. _Needed_ her. He knew that he couldn't have her but he would do anything to protect her and keep her safe.

Well, as safe as was possible in their field of work.

Sakura had been sent on a solo mission and was due to arrive back in the village the next day. However, when Kakashi heard that there was a storm brewing at the border where he knew his pink-haired obsession would be traveling he made a case with the Hokage for him to go after her. Tsunade had fought against him but recognized something in the Copy Nin's eye and granted him his request.

As Kakashi was about to disappear from her office, the blonde called out to him once more.

_"Kakashi? Find her. Take care of her."_

While he originally thought she meant for him to bring Sakura home safe, he began to wonder if she meant something else.

Looking out the cabin window Kakashi saw the storm getting worse and making a decision, grabbed a pack and started filling it with foodstuffs, two canteens filled with water, wool blankets and a first aid kit. Slinging it over his shoulder, Kakashi exited the cabin, the sounds of the ANBU voices calling out to him to come back following him.

~ o O o ~

Kakashi had traveled an hour already and wasn't sure where he should look. Honestly, he had no idea where to begin. Honestly, he wondered if he hadn't made a mistake in going out in the horrible weather and that maybe Sakura had made it to the ANBU station.

But something was telling him to keep looking and while his sense of smell was really good, it was nothing next to his packs. Stopping in a small clearing, Kakashi made the appropriate hand signs and summoned his ninken.

"Yo, boss," Pakkun called out once the smoke cleared. When the pug realized where he was he shivered. "Brrr! What the hell…?"

"Sakura's missing," Kakashi told Pakkun.

"You _lost_ her?" the pug admonished.

Kakashi sighed before giving a short, yet terse, explanation of why Sakura was missing.

"Oh, sorry boss. Let's get going. Though it will be tough in this snow."

The pair began running through the thick forest, climbing the rocky terrain. After about an hour, Pakkun scented something.

"Kakashi, I think I've got something," he barked out and then proceeded to follow the light trace of a scent.

The pug ran in one direction for a period of time and then stopped and sniffed before heading in another direction. This went on for about an hour and Kakashi was beginning to worry that Pakkun was chasing a ghost. It was as he was thinking this that his loyal ninken barked twice and made a beeline for what looked like a cliff.

As they made their approach, Kakashi could sense a flicker of chakra nearby. He followed Pakkun as he wedged himself between a group of trees and gasped at what he saw.

It was a small cavern barely large enough for the Kunoichi within its depths along with the dwindling fire she had built. Sakura was slumped next to the wall with the woolen blanket and her traveling cloak pushed to her feet. She only wore her standard issue pants and bindings around her top and middle most likely doubling as bandages.

She was feverish, that much Kakashi could tell.

"Pakkun," Kakashi called. "Notify Lady Tsunade that I have found Sakura and will return with her once the weather lets up. I have enough supplies for a few days."

"What about her fever, Kakashi? I can smell infection and blood, as if she'd been wounded."

Pakkun was worried about the female that had single-handedly won over his summoner's heart. He didn't want Kakashi to lose this one because if Sakura died, he had a feeling his master would follow her from heartbreak. Kakashi had already lost too many people he loved and for him to lose another…

Pakkun didn't want to think about it.

"I will take care of her. I have packed an additional med kit just in case," Kakashi explained. "Go! I don't want the Hokage to worry for nothing."

"Kakashi? Make sure she gets better."

"I will," Kakashi promised. Content with Kakashi's answer Pakkun left in a puff of smoke.

The first thing Kakashi did was stoked up the small fire. It looked like Sakura had picked up a few pieces of wood along her trek but it wouldn't be enough to survive more than the night. Deciding that he needed to change that, Kakashi stomped out the fire and found a number of rocks around the small enclave and placed them at the center of the fire ring.

Making a few hand signs, Kakashi performs a smaller, more intense version of the fireball jutsu that he'd copied from Sasuke and perfected for situations like this. He shot the fire towards the rocks, heating them up to the core with the super-hot flame so that they would radiate heat. They weren't lava rock and wouldn't hold the heat for too long, like in a sauna, but it would have to do for now.

Once he was content with the amount of heat that the rocks were giving off, Kakashi turned to the reason for his being out in the snowstorm. He could see she was feverish and judging by the bloody wrappings surrounding her middle, the wound she was sporting had become infected. He needed to do something now before she got worse.

Kakashi grabbed the pack he had brought with him and dug through it, looking for the med kit he brought.

"Aha," he muttered when he found it and opened the kit looking for peroxide and sterile cotton to clean the wound. He then pulled out gauze to wrap the area after he cleaned it.

Taking a pair of surgical scissors from the kit, Kakashi quickly and efficiently cut the bloody wrappings from the Kunoichi, wincing at the sight of the infected area. He was grateful she was asleep making his job of cleaning the wound easier. At least she wouldn't feel it.

Kakashi placed the bloody bandages into a sealable bag to be dealt with later before returning to his task. He positioned Sakura so that she was lying slightly on her side, having to roll up his travel cape to keep her in position. Next he placed some of the cotton beneath the wound and grabbed the peroxide and poured it directly on the wound.

Kakashi winced again wishing he didn't have such good hearing because he could hear the peroxide killing the germs on the wound. He watched as it bubbled and cleansed and he poured more, watching as the medicine did its job and cleaned the surface infection.

When it looked to be clean enough, Kakashi wiped down the surface with gentle stokes before applying an antibiotic cream to the wound and then bandaging it to protect it. Kakashi placed the dirty cotton and gauze in the sealed bag before putting it into his pack.

He then went to heat some water to make a tea to help with bringing down the swelling and to bring down her fever.

It was as he went through the motions that Kakashi was able to relax a little knowing that Sakura was safe and nearby. With the blazing of her fever she was not quite out of danger, but he knew she was strong and would fight it.

"Sakura," he called to her. He moved her onto her back and gently patted her cheek to try to awaken her. "Sakura, you need to wake up."

"Nnngh," came a throaty moan from her throat and making Kakashi's body tighten.

_'Come on, Hatake. You shouldn't even been acknowledging how that moan almost sounded sensual.'_

"You need to wake up and drink some water and then some of this tea I brewed up for you," he encouraged.

Eyelids fluttered a bit before finally opening to reveal hazy green eyes. She blinked a bit before seeing who it was that had awakened her.

"Kakashi?" she whispered throatily.

"Hey," he replied trying to ignore how the sound of her voice made his body react. He helped her sit up and then assisted her with drinking a little water before giving her some of the brewed tea.

After she drank some of the tea, grimacing at the bitterness of the taste but ignored it, she held the cup in her lap and looked up at the male very close to her person. She noticed he looked haggard, but downright sexy in just his tight ANBU mesh shirt and pants.

"How did you find me?" she asked, her voice a lot clearer this time. "And why did you come after me?" She really wanted to know.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck in his trademark way. It was a response that Sakura knew showed when he was uncomfortable or embarrassed about something.

"Yeah, about that," he mumbled sheepishly. "Well, I was at the outpost at the border and heard that you were due to arrive at any time from your recent mission and I thought I'd hang out and make the trip back to Konoha with you," he told her, hoping she'd buy the story.

"When I saw the storm coming in, and quickly I might add, I got worried that you'd get caught in it and freeze to death."

"So you felt I couldn't take care of myself and came to my rescue?" Sakura's response was tense and quiet and Kakashi would have been a fool to think she wasn't angry.

"Sakura, look at me," he called to the strong woman. When she looked at him, eye to eye, he spoke.

"Honestly I was worried sick about you. Not because you aren't capable of taking care of yourself, but because I couldn't bear the thought of something happening to you. With this storm coming, I just had to be sure that you were out of it and I'm glad I came seeing as how your wound got infected," he pointed out and she huffed.

"What happened?" he asked when nothing else had been said.

Sakura smiled a bit sheepishly. "A rogue nin got the jump on me and managed to slice into me with a kunai." She left it at that.

"Kakashi, pass me my pack please," changing the subject quickly. It was embarrassing to explain to her once-sensei and commander during the war that she'd been caught off guard.

Kakashi knew when to leave well enough alone. Sakura had managed to learn the art of deflecting very well from him. He handed her the pack she requested and watched as she dug through it, looking for something. When he heard an "Ah" come from her, he could tell she found it.

"Soldier pills. Not the best for the body, but effective to speed up chakra replenishment," Sakura told Kakashi when he looked at her questioningly. She popped a pill and followed it with a swig of the tea that had quickly cooled. Sitting back against the wall, Sakura waited as the pill did its job to build up her chakra levels. Then she could properly heal the wound on her side.

Kakashi felt like he needed to be doing something.

"Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, I am, but I don't have much in rations," Sakura told him.

"Well, I just so happened to have brought quite a bit in case we got stuck in the storm. I packed enough for a full week," Kakashi preened.

Sakura chuckled. "I should have known you'd be prepared."

Kakashi set about preparing a simple meal. Though ANBU rations weren't the tastiest, they were nutritious.

While he kept himself busy, Sakura had enough chakra built up to heal the wound on her side. Before removing the bindings (blushing lightly at the thought that Kakashi had seen her without them) she dug into her pack and pulled out one of her spare under armor shirts. She put it on and rolled the bottom up so that she could remove the bindings and take care of the wound. Again, she was frustrated with the position of it but managed to eliminate the rest of the infection before stitching up the tissue, leaving nothing but a small pink scar behind. When she was done she pulled the shirt down having foregone bindings or a bra.

Now that she felt like she could move again, nature decided to call.

"Great," she mumbled.

"Hmm?" Kakashi queried.

Sakura harrumphed. "I have to take care of some_ bodily functions_," she replied almost clinically.

"Ah."

Sakura sighed and girded herself for the inevitable frigid air, pulled on her boots and cape ran outside the safety and warmth of the enclosure.

When Sakura returned it was with as much noise as possible. "Brrr, brrrr, BRRR!" she yelled as she removed her cape, dropping it at the entrance before removing the snow covered boots, teetering as she stood on one foot as she pulled the boot off of the other. "Kami it's _freezing_ out there!"

Sitting next to the fire pit she rubbed her arms and hands trying to thaw out. "If I have to pee again before we get to the ANBU outpost, it will be too soon!"

Kakashi chuckled as he handed the slowly warming Kunoichi her share of the rations. She took it with a mumbled 'Thanks' before digging in.

As night fell and the storm continued to rage outside, the pair within the small cave prepared to settle down for the night. Figuring that nothing living would be stupid enough to be out in the horrible weather, it was decided that neither of them needed to stay awake on watch.

Kakashi reheated the stones with his jutsu, but knew it wouldn't last throughout the entire night. In the interest of staying warm, he suggested that they sleep near each other to combine their body heat.

Sakura was thankful it was quite dim in the cave so that Kakashi couldn't see the heated blush that crawled over the bridge of her nose and cheeks.

She agreed that sleeping together was the most efficient and effective way to stay warm through the night. Though she'd slept near the Copy Nin on many other missions before, it was usually with one or more of her teammates nearby. For some reason, most likely because of the reoccurring dreams of a certain white-haired male, she felt extremely nervous to be sharing the makeshift bed with only him.

_'Come on Sakura. This is for survival and not for pleasure or procreation,' _she told herself. Of course it was for survival, but her mind wanted to travel to that well-worn gutter where flashbacks of warm lips and callous-worn fingers made her body sing.

Doing a mental shake of her mind, Sakura noticed that Kakashi had taken all of their existing blankets and made a makeshift bed. He had even rolled up his cape (since hers was still damp from her trek outside) to make a simple pillow for them to share.

He was already on the left side with his back to her. _'Hey! That's my side,' _her inner mind ranted. Sakura huffed before climbing in under the blankets, her back towards his but not touching.

"Sakura," Kakashi called from his side.

"Hmm?"

"We won't be able to share heat if we're not touching," he reminded.

_~ sigh ~_

"Fine," she muttered and moved her back towards his. "Better?"

"Better."

~ o O o ~

As the night progressed, the pair's movements did as well.

An hour passes and Sakura rolls over facing Kakashi's back, her hands press against him.

Two hours later Kakashi turns and faces Sakura whose head nuzzles beneath his chin and wraps a leg over his.

Another two hours pass before Sakura rolls to her other side. Kakashi moves closer to Sakura's back and wraps his arm around her middle before pulling her closer to him.

Kakashi slowly awakens to the faint scent of vanilla. His eye opens to reveal a crown of pink hair that he subconsciously nuzzled. He is very warm thanks to the body he is wrapped around and he realizes that his lower half is responding in ways that could be very dangerous.

_'Or very pleasurable, depending on how you look at it,'_ his mind supplied.

Feeling the morning call, Kakashi slowly extricates himself from the dead-to-the-world kunoichi and makes sure to cover her and keep the chilled air from her. He dons his shoes and grabs Sakura's cape before leaving to take care of business.

On his return, Sakura has still not awakened and he's actually glad. For some reason he didn't like the idea of her waking up thinking he had left her alone, even though he left many items behind. Reheating the stones once again, Kakashi sits nearby and watches the woman who has been on his mind for so long.

He observed her as she slept, noting how at peace she looked lying there. Her hair was mussed as if she had been pleasured throughout the night and his more primal side growls at the thought of it being someone else other than him. The fact that her lips were still a light pink and slightly chapped instead of swollen and red, gave away the fact that she had just slept through the night.

Oh how he wanted to bruise those lips with his own, nipping and kissing them until they swelled with rushing blood. Run his fingers through those pink strands has his mouth made love to her neck, her earlobes, chin and jaw. Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by a sound.

"Mmmm… Kakashi…," moaned the object of his inner turmoil.

_'Oh hell. What is she dreaming about?'_ he wondered to himself. Rising to his feet, Kakashi quietly made his way back to the bed, closer to the female.

"Do that again," she practically purred in her early morning husky voice.

The Kami were out to torture him. There was not a doubt in his mind that they put them in this position to tempt him.

"Please stop teasing me, 'Kashi. You know how I hate it when you drag things out," she whined quietly. Her body shifted a little and the blanket moved off of her. When he saw her shiver he wasn't sure if it was due to the cold or the actions of her dream lover.

"I-I need you, Kakashi. Please…" she whimpered.

_'Oh dammit. If I'm going to hell, I might as well enjoy it.'_

Kakashi stripped down to just his boxers, even going as far as removing his mask, his body ready and aching for the woman that had plagued him for much too long. He wanted nothing to get in the way of enjoying her.

Slipping next to Sakura and pulling up the covers to keep the cold air out, Kakashi gently coaxed the dreaming female into his arms and held her closely as the surface of his body warmed up, keeping his hands on her middle. Sakura shifted, her rear rubbing against his hardened length pulling a grunt from an already sensitive copy nin.

_'So help me I swear she's awake and doing this on purpose.'_

He began moving his hands along her form. Though it was clothed, ANBU-issued wear tended to be formfitting and leaving very little to the imagination either visually or in a tactile way. The thin fabric still kept Sakura's modesty intact for the time being, yet gave the male the ability to touch and feel the kunoichi uninhibitedly for the most part.

Kakashi ran his hand up and down the one available side before bringing it up to the swell of her breast and cupping the globe in his hand. His head dropped to the crook of her neck and shoulder and he moaned as she whimpered at the same time. He held still a moment before gently kneading the single breast and then ran his thumb across the hardened nipple.

"Kah-shi…" she whispered making him stop and gauge whether she'd awakened or not. When he decided she was still asleep he resumed his kneading and plucking of the nipple, torturing it, nuzzling her neck and inhaling her unique fragrance and just enjoying being able to touch her.

Oh how he wanted her to be a willing participant.

His prayers were answered when Sakura's hand gently grabbed the hand that had been massaging her breast and moved it down her front, lower and lower until…

"Oh Kami woman!" Kakashi's hand was where he had wanted to be but had been reluctant to go unless she was awake.

Sakura rolled on her back, her green eyes hooded yet searching. "Please?" she whispered.

"You want this? I want you willing, Sakura. Once we start there's no going back."

"I've wanted this for a long time, Kakashi," she told him with a small smile and a blush. "Please, please make love to me."

He growled and crushed his lips to hers showing her how much he had craved her and for how long. Lips nibbled, teeth nipped and tongues invaded and searched each other's mouths in frenzy. When air became necessary, Kakashi pulled away only to place kisses along that jaw, chin and neck he'd been dreaming of, nipping gently at her earlobes along the way.

His body by this time had shifted until it hovered above her and between her legs, the blankets used to cover them from the cold a long distant memory. His hands had been busy as well, touching and memorizing every part of her amazing body. Eventually, he tired of touching fabric and sat up while pulling up Sakura into a seated position. He pulled at the tight black shirt and gently yet firmly yanked it over her head revealing her upper body in its naked glory.

Pert caramel nipples were the first things he saw and he practically salivated at the thought of sucking those luscious peaks while kneading them to his heart's content. Sakura, seeing her ex-sensei's line of sight, giggled before lying back on the makeshift bed. Her eyes hooded as they spoke clearly of what she wanted without words.

The male did exactly as his mind ordered and took hold of one breast and his mouth one of the pebbled nipples and sucked. His free hand gently kneaded at the other breast, alternating with rolling and then pulling at the puckered nub. Sakura moaned at the sensations, enjoying the pleasure Kakashi was giving her. Her body was already very sensitive and hyperaware due to the erotic dream she'd been having not moments before.

Kakashi traded sides being sure to give equal attention to the other breast and loved watching how the nipple he just left puckered in the cold air. His lower body was throbbing in its need demanding relief, and soon

"Kakashi," Sakura whimpered. "More… I need more."

The male pulled up from the lovely treasures he'd been enjoying and gently ground his lower half against her clothed center causing them both to moan at the friction. Even through her pants and his boxers he could feel the heat and wetness emitting from her core. It was time to step things up.

"Last chance to back out, Sakura," he told her. When she wrapped her legs around his lower body and ground herself against his hardened appendage, he gasped. Well, he knew her answer.

Kakashi began pulling at her pants causing Sakura to drop her legs down. She lifted her bottom half so he could pull them down completely before throwing them off to the side for later. Kakashi gasped at the beautiful woman before him and he counted himself a very, very lucky male.

Her body was like most kunoichi; firm and toned yet still carried a little fat giving them their womanly curviness. Sakura was all curves, yet beneath it all, she was very strong. She had few scars, though the one that stood out from all the rest was the one that nearly took her life during her battle with Sasori in Suna. He wanted to growl and wished that Sasori could be reanimated so that Kakashi could kill him all over again.

Kakashi was stunned by the ferocity of that thought but knew it was due to the fact that he loved this woman more than life.

Sakura lay there as she watched Kakashi peruse her form. The look of pure want and arousal was not hard to miss nor was his manhood, which had made its way through the hole in his boxers. Though he was not overly large, he was proportionate.

Kakashi awakened from his stupor and leaned down to kiss the woman senseless. He resumed his tactile perusal of her body, touching everywhere, kissing, licking, drawing wonderful moans and mewls from the woman beneath him. His length pulsed as Sakura began to move her hips beneath him, her wetness seeping from her and coating him as she stroked him with her lower lips.

The scent of her heady arousal swam around them causing him to shudder and he knew it would be over much too soon if he didn't stop her.

_'Kami, what she does to me!'_

Kakashi moaned as he felt the tension in his body build and a tingling and he quickly grabbed her hips, stopping her motions. "You need to stop doing that or foreplay is going to be over very quickly," he told her through gritted teeth.

Sakura just smiled seductively.

Knowing she was already very wet, he moved back a bit from her before gently testing her with his fingers. Moaning again, Kakashi pulled them from her heat to lick the moistness from his fingers.

"Mmmm," he purred before kneeling down between her legs, parting those petals that held such wonderful nectar and tasting her with his own lips.

Her flavor was a tangy musk that was like sugar to his taste buds. His tongue swiped at her clit once, twice and then he wrapped his lips around it and sucked causing the little woman to moan. A digit gently invaded her wet cavern as he continued to suckle on that bundle of nerves and Sakura's hips bucked at the intrusion combined with the building climax.

She was so hot, so tight that Kakashi was hard put not to forego the rest of the foreplay and thrust himself into her now. Though he could be selfish, today was not that day. Today he wanted to show her just how much he wanted her.

Sakura's hands found the silky white strands of hair of the male that was giving her such amazing pleasure and tried to keep from yanking the hair from the roots, but she was finding it very difficult to control herself. While she was no stranger to sex, what Kakashi was doing at that moment far surpassed any of her previous experiences and they hadn't even got to the best part!

She moaned out his name asking for him to give her more, even though there wasn't much more he could do but continue to stoke her as he was to the point of that inevitable release. And though she looked forward to reaching the pinnacle, getting there was half the fun.

Her body was on fire, her legs shook and her brain went haywire and it wasn't long before the intense rush hit, causing her to let out a long drawn out moan and everything went white.

Kakashi pulled up and laid over her kissing her gently as she came back from her release. When he saw that he had her attention again he knew it was time.

"Are you ready?"

A petite hand that could break mountains one minute yet heal with tenderness gently cupped his jaw, her thumb running across his lips and then to his cheek. Kakashi watched as she perused his face and he realized this was the first time she'd seen him without the mask.

He smiled, and she was almost overwhelmed by her reaction to it.

_'Kami he's beautiful!'_

"Yes, I'm ready."

Kakashi's hands gently held Sakura's, their palms meeting while their fingers entwined. He kissed her gently and pulled back to watch her has his hips shifted to find their connection, Sakura's knees bending up to give him easier purchase. Their reactions were immediate as soon as they became one. Jade and onyx eyes glazed over in passion as they joined in their dance, their hands and bodies never severing their connection.

He took her slowly and gently, deliberately building their passion from a slow simmer to a burning hunger. The sounds of their pleasure could only be heard by the pair making them as they shared of themselves, body and soul in a single act of lovemaking that they would never forget. This one moment would be one they would remember for the rest of their lives only to share with one another in later years.

As they both climbed closer to the precipice, Kakashi's motions sped up and became more forceful causing Sakura to move her hips in time to meet his own thrusts, their pants and moans growing with each brush against the other's most erogenous zones. Sweat built between them as did their temperatures while the coldness of the outside of the cave became a fleeting thought, their only desire was to pleasure one another.

When they finally reached their joint release it was as if the Kami had come down from the heavens and had taken their lives only to be reborn again. The term 'little death' had been proven in those moments and the pair continued to clasp hands and stare into one another's eyes through the entire trip, though it was difficult to do so.

They continued to lie together, still joined as one, yet hands and lips caressed to gently touch and learn the other's body. Words were not shared but actions told so much more.

It would be several days before the pair of Jounin would be able to leave the cave but would continue to learn more about one another in that time, making love frequently. With them they would take the memories of what happened there and find happiness together for years to come.

* * *

_AN: I purposely left it open-ended in case I want to write a follow up. I'm relatively pleased with how this turned out since I've been working on it for a couple of months. Bit by bit, piece by piece it came together. I've really tried to work on being more descriptive - not sure I'm getting it yet._

_I hope you all enjoy._


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